Pacifica Quartet - Declarations: Music Between the Wars

I've reviewed one other album by the Pacifica Quartet, Mendelssohn's Complete String Quartets, and have since then fell in love with them. Their passion for making music is apparent in their performances; they're mesmerizing! If you don't know, I don't particularly favor modern classical works, but this album, well, at least Janacek's String Quartet, is superb.

Pacifica Quartet's Declarations: Music Between the Wars features relatively unknown quartets by Leos Janácek, Ruth Crawford Seeger, and Paul Hindemith composed in the time span between the wars (1920's to the early 1930's). I can't express enough how fantastic the Pacifica Quartet is. Even though, I'm not a huge fan of their musical selection, I am happy to see a group of this caliber devoting their time and effort playing the music of not-so-famous composers. Their skills and finesse are bar none; true to form, precise, honest, and committed (if only all musical artists were as devoted).

I'm extremely surprised with Leos Janácek's String Quartet No. 2 (1928). It has all the modern intonations, chord progressions, and furious rhythms of 20th Century music, yet, there are moments of absolute perfection - peace and resolve - that transcend space and time. I know that sounds dramatic, but I'm listening to it as I write this review. If anything, I recommend this album because of this one work. As for Seeger's String Quartet and Hindemith's String Quartet No. 4, I was less than impressed - with the music that is. Perhaps putting the best work first was a mistake. Seeger's String Quartet is far to "modern" for my liking. I get no enjoyment listening to it. Quite frankly, it makes me feel uneasy. Same holds true for Hindemith's String Quartet No. 4, although, there is much more lyricism in his work.